Sommer . Klangwart

Markus Detmer (Staubgold) and Timo Reuber (Reuber) have recently become aware of two facts: a) that they have known each other for the past 18 years and b) that during 14 of those, they have been making music under the name of Klangwart. Looking back at all those years, they reckoned it was time to put together a retrospective from their extensive archive. They quickly decided that the motto of this compilation was to be "summer" – light, warmth and recreation, but also heat, sweat and adventure. "Sommer" (staubgold 99 cd/dl/lp) assembles new as well as rarely heard tracks from those past 14 years – rarely heard compilation tracks and remixes for other artists as well as hitherto unreleased studio recordings which were recorded at the Inkiek studio in Cologne in 2008 and 2009.

TRACK INFO:

1. Hitzefrei (with Philippe Petit)

A real-time improvisation. Deep trust and a profound understanding between the two musicians enables them to communicate without words. A tense groove propels us and them into unknown territory.

2. Schnappschuss

A snapshot of complex and interfering sensory perception. Tenderly mechanical harmonies guide the listener through a jungle of sounds.

3. Moloch

Narrow streets, tall buildings, shimmering heat. The claustrophobic cityscape grows and sprawls socio-architectural tumour. You have to scream in order to get heard. The moloch strains your nerves and drains your energy. With your soul wounded you leave the city behind.

4. Wartehalle (with Christof Kugel)

At the train station – a stop over between the worlds. Your mind is a hundred kilometres ahead – or behind. The rest is just waiting.

5. Wellenbad

You are jumping with your backside into the face of destiny. A meeting of sounds and voices from all over the world. The soundlines weave themselves into a giant net, which blissfully tries to catch the summer. And then there's the big wave.

6. Fruehtau (with Nufa)

Sunrise. Clear and pure, fresh and new. The beginning of a long and beautiful day. Everything's going to change.

7. Amoebenruh

The world's in flux. Power lies in silence.

Klangwart

The electronic duo Klangwart was founded in 1996 by Markus Detmer (15.03.1972) and Timo Reuber (31.10.1970) in Cologne.

Markus and Timo first met in Cologne as students of musicology in a seminar on electronic music in 1992. Spontaneous mutual sympathy due to a shared interest in all kinds of New Music, especially the minimal musics of Steve Reich and Terry Riley. Four years later, the idea of making music together is put into action. Starting point of their musical collaboration are intensive joint listening experiences. They discover the pioneering music of the "Krautrock" era while at the same time taking in the exciting developments and innovations within Cologne's electronic music scene of the 1990s, which centred around Thomas Brinkmann, Burnt Friedman, Mouse On Mars and Pluramon.

During their initial improvisations, Markus and Timo quickly found common musical ground. In the ensuing all night recording-sessions they developed their own musical language as well an idiosyncratic working method. They see themselves as "music workers" and "sound explorers". In a dream, the idea of the "Klangstelle" is born, with Markus and Timo as "sound station attendants", who "refuel" the curious listener with unusual sounds and acoustic environments.

In 1997 the mini-cd "Inkiek" was the first Klangwart-release on their own "Klangstelle" label. This was followed in 1998 by the electronic suites "immer weiter" and "Nirgendland" (issued as a limited tape editions only) and the first lp "Köln-Olpe". The latter was a musical discussion of migration between the poles of the rural and the urban living space. In 1999, the lp "Zwei" ("Two") followed, a study in sound based on only two sounds. It was divided into two parts: loud (dynamic, raw, fierce, aggressive) and quiet (calm, focussed, concentrated, well balanced).

Between 1997 and 2007, Klangwart performed over a hundred concerts all over the world (Paris, Sydney, Tokyo, Beijing) and established themselves as key players in the uncharted area between composed and improvised electronic music.

Since 1999, Klangwart have been experimenting at their concerts with a limited pool of sounds and loops. From this, the two generated the concert piece "Stadtlandfluss" in real time which they have been (re-)creating as a continuous experiment for many years and which they finally recorded for Staubgold in 2008 (staubgold 80 cd/dl/lp). After meeting at Mini Midi Festival in Beijing in 2008, Klangwart are currently performing "Stadtlandfluss" in collaboration with the Swiss artist Andy Guhl (ex-Voice Crack) adding a visual dimension to their extra sensorial musical experience.

In autumn 2009, Klangwart have finished recording a new album, "Sommer", which will be released on Staubgold in June 2010.